List of members

The following are Governors (Directors) of the University as of 27 November 2018:

Mrs Diane Yeo, BSc FRSA FInstF
Interim Chair
Diane began her career in Production with BBC Education. She has been a Charity Commissioner, has run several national and international charities relating to youth, disability and health, was a founder of the Institute of Fundraising, and until recently chaired the Arts Educational Schools. In addition to working as a consultant with not for profit organisations, she established and now chairs ETAT (Encouragement Through the Arts and Talking), a charity for lonely and isolated people.

Mr David Cheeseman, BSc
​Deputy Chair
Originally trained in the transport sector and is currently a Director of Chef Express UK, part of Grupo Cremonini of Italy, a Director of Momentum Services the provider of crew, catering and lounge services to Eurostar International. He has advised on transport projects in Russia, India and much of Europe and has also worked in Southern and Eastern Africa on logistics and distribution projects for famine relief and environmental charities. He is a Director of the ESU, and a trustee of the Magic Circle Foundation Ltd.

Mr Chester Barnes, BSc Honours Managing Director at JP Morgan Asset Management where he is the Portfolio Manager for the European Property Fund. He qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1985 having graduated from the Polytechnic of Central London BSc Honours Urban Estate Management in 1983. He has held a variety of roles in portfolio and asset management for investments in the UK and more recently in 15 European countries for companies including LaSalle, Merrill Lynch and GE

Mr John Begg, BSc MA PQEBIPP SFHEA
The elected representative for Academic Council. John is a Senior Lecturer and the BSc Building Surveying course leader at the University of Westminster in the Department of Property and Construction, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. In addition to his teaching duties John is Associate Senior Tutor, Admissions Tutor and a member of the University's Academic Council.

Ms Chris Bernard LL.B (Hons) MBA
Associate Director of the UK’s leading Executive Search firm specialising in appointment of senior diverse talent, Audeliss, Chris has over the last 25 years held senior and client facing positions in executive permanent and interim hiring. Chris joined the University of Westminster in 2017 as part of the acclaimed board apprentice scheme. This has proven to be a successful engagement for both the University and Chris who has since joined University’s Court of Governors as a Governor. Chris is a Co-opted Member of the Diversity Working Party of the City of London Corporation.

Dr Peter Bonfield, OBE, FREng, FIET, FICE, FIOM3, FCIOB, HonFIStructE, HonFCABE
Vice-Chancellor and President of the University. Peter has responsibility for directing all University activities and developments and is Chair of the University Executive Board and Academic Council. He also has statutory reporting duties on behalf of the University to the Office for Students. Peter is currently Deputy President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and is a member of the Board of UK Active.

Mr Nicholas Catterall BA, MSc
Nicholas joined the University in 2016 and is the Professional Services elected nominee for the Court of Governors. As Senior Compliance and Development Manager at the University, he is responsible for compliance policy development in the department of Global Recruitment and Admissions.

Mr Geoffrey Davies
A Principal Lecturer in Journalism and International Director for the School of Media, Arts and Design. He sits on Court as the staff governor nominated through election by teaching staff. Formerly Head of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, he joined the university in 2002 having worked across newspapers and television as a journalist, producer/director and business manager. In his international role he has taught in Beijing and Hong Kong.

Dame Karen Dunnell
Karen has spent all her working life in research and statistics in the public sector. From 1974-2009 she worked in the Government Statistical Service and from 2005 was its head and Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. She also has Advisory/Trustee roles for PricewaterhouseCooper, Legal and General, Northern Ireland Heart, Chest and Stroke, Highgate Scientific and Literary Society, and William Ellis School.

The Hon Dame Mary Hogg, DBE FRSA
Holds an honorary LLD from the University. ;A former QC, she is a former High Court Judge in the Family Division. Her Great-Grandfather, Quintin Hogg, founded the Polytechnic.

Professor Alexandra Hughes
Deputy Vice–Chancellor for Employability and Global Engagement, Alex leads, develops and coordinates the University's internationalisation. She is responsible for promoting a culture of global engagement across the University, championing a wide range of international activities to build on and build up our international connections, the internationalisation of the Westminster experience and our international recruitment.

Ms Vanessa James
A practising solicitor and partner specialising in employment law, business protection, director disputes and team moves at Ashfords LLP. Qualified for over 15 years, Vanessa supports a number of clients including both employers and individuals with expert sector knowledge in housing, homelessness, healthcare, construction, contract/travel caterers and insurance brokers. Vanessa has held trustee posts for a G15 housing association and a local HIV charity.

Mr Gary Morley, FCA
Chartered Accountant and author specialising in private company Corporate Finance. He is Hon. Treasurer of City YMCA London and former Chairman of the British Suzuki Institute. He is also a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers.

Mr Philip Murphy, BSc MRICS
Director of PRP Architects LLP, a multidisciplinary design and project management practice. PRP is a leading housing and regeneration consultancy with very strong links to the public sector. He is a consultant to a number of affordable housing providers and is involved with several education and arts organisations as a Trustee and Governor.

Miss Lareb Naseem is the President of the University of Westminster Students' Union.

Ms Helen Owen BA, MA
Served on the Boards of several of the UK’s leading digital, marketing and creative consultancies, including Oystercatchers, a management consultancy, and Lambie Nairn, a brand, digital and commercials agency. She is currently Marketing Director of Take7, an educational music learning app. Her not-for-profit work includes Trusteeship of St James’, Royal British Legion and Vice-Chair of the Armed Forces and Cadets Committee at the Worshipful Company of Marketors. She holds a civic honour of Southwark Woman of the Year for services to youth and sport.

Mrs Linda Phillips is a graduate of Cardiff University and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. She has held senior position in a number of blue chip companies, latterly Shell, in the field of Logistics and Operations and is an expert in supply chain and road safety. As a senior leader Lin has gained extensive experience working with and across different cultural and geographical boundaries. She is a member of Cardiff University Council, a trustee of the Cardiff University Pension Fund, and a trustee of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety. She is also. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the National Council for Universities and Business (NCUB), Grow Value for Wales and an ambassador for Women on Boards.

Mr Matthew Smith, MA LLM
Barrister specialising in charity law and a voluntary youth worker. He is Vice Chairman of City YMCA, London.

The Venerable Canon David Stanton
Archdeacon of Westminster and Canon Treasurer at Westminster Abbey, with oversight for all financial affairs and buildings, and Trustee of the Church of England Pensions Board. He is also Vice Chair of Oxford University Research Ethics Committee (Divisions: Humanities & Social Sciences), Governor at Westminster School and Distinguished Friend of Oxford University. He was previously Church Commissioner for England, Non-Executive at the Wales Audit Office and Secretary of State Member at the Dartmoor National Park Authority.

Ms Philomine Wales BA Dip Arch, RIBA
Worked as an architect for over 40 years on new build, redevelopment and refurbishment projects, ranging from multi-million pound developments to bespoke one-off schemes, in both the public and private sectors, latterly specialising in healthcare and laboratory design. She is also a trustee of a community garden, which provides facilities for education to local schools.

Mr Simon Wylie served on the Board of the UK based, global leader in digital, marketing and creative insight and intelligence consultancies, Xtreme Information (now Ebiquity PLC) going on to become CEO of Contagious Communications and now serves as Chairman of The Blueprint Consultancy Ltd, a global headhunter and organisational design consultancy for advertising and marketing, He is a Director of the how to: academy, presenting a public programme of events and courses in London, featuring leading scientists, Nobel Prize laureates, philosophers and authors and co-founder of For One Night Only, a start-up launched to help companies create winning pitches.

For queries relating to the Court of Governors, please contact Elaine McMillan, Clerk to the Court of Governors: [email protected].

Standing orders

Specific procedures for the government and conduct of the University are set out in the Standing Orders.

Effectiveness reviews

During 2016–17 the Court conducted a periodic review of its effectiveness. The findings of the review were reported to the meeting of the Court in June 2018 and the review recommendations were agreed. Enhancements agreed at this meeting will be implemented from September 2018.